Warnings with soda shown to change habits

Displaying warning signs with sugary drinks appears to encourage people to make healthier decisions about the beverages they consume, according to new research.

Over six weeks, scientists at John Hopkins University displayed four different signs in various shops around Baltimore. MD. Two provided examples of the types and amounts of exercise required to burn off the calories contained in sugary drinks; the other signs simply listed the drinks’ calories and sugar content. Throughout the study, the researchers interviewed customers who were between the ages of 12 and 18.

The researchers found that out of all the children who saw and read the signs, about 59 percent said they believed the signs’ content, and about 40 percent said the warnings affected their behavior. The researchers also found that sugary drink sales fell, and the percentage of teenagers who chose to buy no drink in the shops increased from 27 to 33 percent. The results remained consistent for several weeks after the signs were removed.

The study’s findings suggest that easy-to-understand signs may be an effective way to encourage healthier choices among consumers, especially if soft drink manufacturers don’t plan to reduce the drinks’ sugar content, researchers said. They added that such warning signs as those used in the study may help promote weight loss and fight against obesity.

Medication mistakes common for children

Scientists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH, have found that out-of-hospital medication errors may affect as many as one child every eight minutes.

In the study, the researchers found that the majority of medication errors occurred at children’s homes and were made by parents or caretakers. Between the years 2002 and 2012, they found, about 63,000 children younger than age six were affected every year by such errors. The medication errors led to 25 fatalities throughout the course of the study, as well as more than 4,600 hospitalizations.

The scientists said that painkillers were most commonly misused, followed by antihistamines. They also found that a common mistake was that children were given twice the dose than was needed.

In the study’s findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, the researchers concluded that public health interventions may help prevent future medication errors. They added that parents and caretakers also need to pay closer attention to dosage amounts and instructions, particularly when it comes to very young children who are not able to communicate well what they need or what medications they have already taken.

Facebook may promote junk food

Social media sites, such as Facebook, may play a role in marketing unhealthy food to teens and young adults, according to a new study.

Scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia looked at the Facebook pages of 27 well-known food and beverage brands, including Coca-Cola, Subway and Slurpee. They analyzed the companies’ marketing techniques, follower engagement and marketing messages. They also compared the data from healthy food companies with that from unhealthy food companies–defined in the study as those with energy-dense and nutrient-poor products.

The researchers found that the unhealthy food companies had higher engagement on their Facebook page from teenagers and young adults, compared to the social media sites of healthier food companies. They also found that the teenagers and young adults who had high engagement with the unhealthy food companies often shared the companies’ content with their social network circles.

The study’s findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, suggest that social media marketing techniques by unhealthy food companies are effective in targeting social media users, researchers said. They added that online advertising aimed at adolescents may be an important area of focus for future health policies.